Ragosine Oil Company

This collection contains: copy of report and proposals relating to company affairs, 1881; minutes of the Board and annual general meetings, 1927-1948; photocopied minutes of the Ragosine, Orcene Lubrication and K. Allan Group Co-ordination Committee, 1968; financial papers, 1881, 1927, 1948; correspondence consisting mainly of in-letters from V. I. Ragosine and Company, Moscow. The correspondence relates to orders for various types of oils and tars, and to the payment for and transport of these orders, 1882-1907. The collection also includes a volume of mounted testimonial letters to Ragosine Oils, 1880-1927; volumes of pasted in items labelled 'Stationery and Circulars', 188--1933; other publications of the company, 1970s; personal papers of the Ragosine family, 1825-1950s; photographs.

Victor Ivanovitch Ragosine took a degree in chemistry at the University of Moscow in 1854. Realising Europe's need for lubricants as its heavy industries rapidly expanded, he produced from astatki (a mineral oil residue previously considered waste) a yellow lubricating oil. This proved to be superior to the vegetable and animal oils then in use, which were prone to induce corrosion in the machines they were supposed to protect. Unlike them the Ragosine oil was virtually non-corrosive. The production process, using superheated steam, was patented and the oil was subsequently marketed throughout Europe. An English agency was opened in 1878 in London. Four years later the agency manager, Ernest Glehn, bought out the Russian parent company's interest and established his own business - Ragosine and Company. Reference: 'The History of ROCOL' (http://www.rocol.com/sitesafety/english/about/).Accessed June 2002.

The Centre also holds papers of K. Allan and Company Ltd (MSS.198/A), Belgrave Oil and Grease Company (Leeds) Ltd (MSS.198/B), Henry Wells Oil Company/Germ Lubricants Ltd (MSS.198/G), Thomas Moscrop and Co Ltd (MSS.198/M), Orcene Company Ltd (MSS.198/OR).

Session inactive